Deepfake Videos of Health Experts Used in Scam Selling Supplement in Australia
Deepfake videos of Australian diabetes expert Jonathan Shaw and television host Karl Stefanovic were used in Facebook advertisements to promote a health supplement called Glyco Balance, falsely claiming the supplement could replace metformin for diabetes treatment. The scam also included a fabricated interview transcript, and Meta removed the content after Shaw was alerted by concerned patients.
What happened
Deepfake videos featuring diabetes expert Jonathan Shaw, deputy director of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, and television host Karl Stefanovic were created and used in Facebook advertisements promoting a dietary supplement called Glyco Balance. In the fake video, a generated Shaw falsely claimed metformin, a first-line type 2 diabetes treatment, was ineffective and promoted the supplement as an alternative that stabilises blood sugar in 24 hours.
The scam included a fake written interview transcript falsely attributed to Shaw and ABC journalist Leigh Sales, where Shaw was quoted as saying the supplement was developed at the Baker Institute with government funds and that metformin is dangerous. Meta removed the video from Facebook after Shaw was alerted by patients who saw the advertisement.
Reported impact
Patients called Shaw's clinic asking about the treatment featured in the fake video, having believed they were seeing a genuine endorsement from their health expert. Shaw expressed concern that the misinformation could discourage people with diabetes from taking metformin, a commonly prescribed medication whose long-term safety is well established.
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates how deepfake technology can be weaponised in health-related scams targeting both medical professionals and patients seeking treatment advice. Generative AI improvements have enabled a significant increase in sophisticated fake advertisement scams using the identities of celebrities and public figures to sell products.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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